Chapter 39

The reporters continued to press relentlessly. “Mr. Ying, given how close your relationship is, was your judging on the show compromised?”

Ying Quhe glanced at the persistent reporter, a cold expression surfacing in the corners of his eyes. “As for the claims of shady dealings, Xi Mi will give everyone an answer at Monday’s press conference. Cooking competitions differ from traditional singing talent shows. The audience can only visualize the flavor of the dishes with their eyes rather than taste them with their palates. Even if I say it was completely fair, none of you would believe me. On the day of the press conference, Xi Mi will face off against contestant representatives from the show in a live culinary duel, with all the reporters present serving as the judges. If Xi Mi loses, I will cough up every single cent of the prize money. To ensure total fairness, the theme for the match will be chosen at random by the reporters on site.”

Ying Quhe left them with those sharp words.

When the auction ended, Ying Quhe bought Master Zhang Lin’s 《Grape Painting》 while he was at it to give to Xi Mi.

Xi Mi took a photo with Master Zhang Lin, then waited for Ying Quhe in the parking lot while clutching 《Grape Painting》.

Ying Quhe exchanged toasts and greetings with several executives before preparing to leave. On his way down, he happened to share an elevator with Ye Doudou. When they reached the B1 level, Ye Doudou hurried after him and stepped into his path. “Mr. Ying.”

Ying Quhe looked at her coldly. “Is there something you need?”

Ye Doudou pulled a few photos out of her shoulder bag and handed them to him. “Some young girls try to take shortcuts at a young age. Normally, it would be none of my business, but before entering the competition, she constantly bragged to our group members about her close relationship with you. It just goes to show how vain she is.”

Ying Quhe took the photos from her. Aside from one showing Xi Mi sitting inside Ji Donglin’s luxury car, there was another showing her going downstairs to throw out trash with Ji Donglin.

Ye Doudou explained the photo: “Ji Donglin and I live in the same neighborhood. I went out for a morning jog that day, and at seven in the morning, I saw her coming out with him. She couldn’t possibly be… visiting a friend’s house so early in the morning, right?”

The timestamp in the bottom right corner of the photo read the 9th of last month.

Ying Quhe remembered clearly. The night before that date, after the match ended, Xi Mi hadn’t returned home overnight because Nan Qing had gotten drunk and stayed at Ji Donglin’s place. He unfolded the photos, stacked them back together, and held them up, asking her, “What is the meaning of showing me these photos?”

Ye Doudou said, “Mr. Ying, you have sharp eyes. I just don’t want you to be deceived by anyone.”

Ying Quhe raised a dark brow slightly. “So she often boasted about our relationship to the rest of the group? It seems my position in her heart isn’t insignificant after all. Bringing these photos to the auction means you did quite a bit of homework in advance.”

His face suddenly turned icy cold, like storm clouds abruptly rolling across the sky. In the next instant, he slapped the photos hard across Ye Doudou’s face with immense force. The sharp edge of a photo sliced her delicate skin, leaving a fine, crimson scratch.

Caught completely off guard by such a violent outburst from a seemingly cold and gentlemanly man, Ye Doudou stood dazed. Then, she raised a hand to touch her stinging cheek. Was she… bleeding?

She froze in place as if turned to stone, staring blankly at Ying Quhe.

The photos scattered across the floor with a rustle.

Ying Quhe stepped over the photos and closed in on her, his very breath seeming to radiate a biting chill. “Ms. Ye, thank you for keeping Xi Mi in your thoughts for so long. It’s because of people like you that I realize just how outstanding she is. Thank you for using your hideous behavior to highlight her brightness.”

Covering her face, Ye Doudou stared at the man as a wave of intense grievance washed over her.

Ying Quhe turned and walked away, but paused after a few steps. He turned back and added, “By the way, you are free to sue me for intentional injury. My lawyers excel at winning those kinds of lawsuits.”

Back inside the car, Xi Mi shifted closer to him. “What took you so long?”

Ying Quhe replied, “Oh, a stray dog was following behind me just now.”

Xi Mi grabbed his shoulder and inspected him carefully. “A stray dog? There are stray dogs in the hotel parking lot? You weren’t hurt, were you?”

Ying Quhe shook his head. “No.”

Xi Mi yawned and leaned back against her seat. “Wake me up when we get home. I’m going to take a short nap.”

“Mm.” Ying Quhe firmly pulled her head over and rested it on his shoulder. “Go to sleep.”

Overcome by sleepiness, Xi Mi’s mind was a muddled haze, and she babbled softly, “Bastard Dao, I hope I can become an Executive Chef within a year, and I hope I’ll get the chance to take part in a State Banquet^[1] just like you. I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, not keep looking up at you forever. I want everyone to see us as a match made in heaven one day, instead of thinking I’m with you just because I’m your kept woman…”

…

By the time they arrived home, Xi Mi was sound asleep.

Ying Quhe carried her upstairs. Just as he laid her on the bed, he heard a chaotic commotion coming from the backyard.

Wolf Pup was letting out “Awoo” howls that sounded milky and high-pitched, yet surprisingly sharp.

Ulrica started off with “Woof woof” barks, but was soon led astray by Wolf Pup, turning into “Awoo woof woof, awoo woof woof.”

The two sounds tangled together, disrupting the peace.

Ying Quhe went to the backyard to check on the two dogs. He lifted Xiao Guai out of the doghouse and examined the little guy closely. Although Ulrica was a breed of wolfdog, her snout wasn’t as sharp as the little guy’s, and her gaze wasn’t nearly as imposing.

A thought popped into Ying Quhe’s head: Could this… actually be a wolf?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the little guy in his arms tilted its chin, bounced up like Ulrica, and wrapped its tiny paws around his mouth, licking away enthusiastically.

Disgusted, Ying Quhe placed the little guy onto Ulrica’s back and dismissed the idea.

How could a wolf act with the exact same demeanor as a dog?

…

On Monday, the press conference venue was packed to capacity.

Besides the reporters, the contestant chefs who had filed the joint complaint were also present. Xi Mi hadn’t expected so many people to show up, and her legs felt a little weak backstage. Ji Donglin had also come to cheer her on. Patting Xi Mi on the shoulder, he said, “Goddess, keep it up! No matter the outcome, I will always be your strongest backing!”

Ying Quhe slapped away his hand from Xi Mi’s shoulder and reminded him, “Men and women should keep a respectful distance.”

“Oh, so only you get to touch her?” Ji Donglin couldn’t stand Ying Quhe’s cold, arrogant demeanor, completely unable to fathom what the Goddess saw in him.

Ying Quhe swept him a frigid glance, and Ji Donglin immediately ducked behind Nan Qing, who possessed the exact same intimidating gaze. Nan Qing crossed her arms and glared back at Ying Quhe. “I say, Quhe, Xi Mi counts as my CP too. Isn’t it a bit greedy of you to hoard her all for yourself?”

Ying Quhe hadn’t expected Nan Qing to protect Ji Donglin. As an outsider, he seemed to grasp what was going on.

Learning that Xi Mi was holding a press conference, Tian Jian and Ying Shengnan also came to cheer her on.

The couple wore matching black sports hoodies and masks, bundled up so tightly that only a slit for their eyes was visible. Seeing them sneaking around like thieves, Xi Mi asked, “What are you two doing?”

Tian Jian glanced slyly around and whispered, “My brother’s been hunting down Old Ying lately, beating him up every time they meet. It breaks my heart, so Old Ying and I disguised ourselves before coming out. Mimi, don’t we look like spies?”

Ying Shengnan bumped his elbow against Ying Quhe with folded arms and asked under his breath, “Second Brother, has Tian Hao been to the company lately?”

Ying Quhe said, “He came to cause trouble a few times. Hiding like this isn’t a long-term solution. Why don’t we set a date, sit down, and talk it out properly? Fengda Group is a major player in Mingyang, and Ying Shi Pavilion’s branch over there is already being squeezed to death. Considering the business over there, shouldn’t you step forward too? You can’t just keep running away.”

“I get the logic, but after taking so many beatings, I haven’t seen Tian Hao show me a shred of mercy.”

Ying Quhe said, “Back then, you eloped with Tian Jian and then publicly declared your sovereignty over Weibo, catching him completely off guard. Leaving you without a permanent disability is already mercy. How about this: after Xi Mi’s matter is resolved, have Tian Jian come stay with Xi Mi for a few days. I’ll arrange a private meeting with Tian Hao and talk to him.”

Ying Shengnan gave him a side-eye. “Are you trying to tear apart a loving couple?”

Tian Jian took Xi Mi’s hands and nodded, pouting. “Yeah, Lao Qu. Did you win Mimi over for yourself just so you could break us up? I never expected you to be this kind of Lao Qu.”

Xi Mi had caught the general idea and knew Ying Quhe meant well. She added, “I… think Ying Quhe is right. You really should talk. After all, he’s Jianjian’s biological brother. If this isn’t resolved, Jianjian will be the one hurting the most caught in the middle.”

Ying Shengnan thought it over for a moment, then patted Ying Quhe’s shoulder. “Alright, then you two sort this out as soon as possible.”

The press conference began.

Besides the journalists present, a dozen chefs who had filed the joint lawsuit sat on both sides. They all looked unfamiliar, and Xi Mi didn’t recognize any of them; not a single one had placed in the top ten.

Xi Mi stepped onto the stage with her heart pounding against her ribs, even more nervous than she had been during her first competition. Ying Quhe offered words of encouragement: “Don’t be afraid. Just answer truthfully whatever the reporters ask once you’re up there.”

Xi Mi nodded, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rubbed her head against his chest before taking a deep breath and walking onto the stage.

Facing the dense crowd of reporters below, she gripped the microphone tightly with both hands, let out a breath, and said, “Ask whatever you want to ask.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a reporter fired off a question: “Miss Xi, internet rumors claim that Mr. Ying orchestrated the entire rigging scandal for you. Further leaks allege that Mr. Ying began keeping you as a mistress before you were even of age. Is this true?”

Xi Mi’s heart jolted. What kind of nonsense is this?

Suppressing her anger, Xi Mi said, “If reporters nowadays are this good at making up stories, you might as well switch careers and write romance novels like The Domineering CEO Keeps Me as His Mistress. First of all, the competition wasn’t rigged; winning the championship took both luck and genuine skill. Second, I stayed in Jialing Ancient Town until I was nineteen. The town is tiny, and everyone knows everyone. If I got beaten at home, it became the local elders’ gossip topic by the next day. If I was really being kept as a mistress, do you think they wouldn’t know? You reporters are free to go interview them and investigate, but please adhere to the facts and implement the spirit of the Fifteenth National Party Congress^[2]!”

Ying Quhe had just taken a glass of water from his assistant. The moment he swallowed a mouthful, Xi Mi’s line choked him, making him almost spray the water everywhere.

The press conference was being live-streamed on Weibo. As soon as the phrase “implement the spirit of the Fifteenth National Party Congress” spilled from Xi Mi’s mouth, netizens flooded the stream with bullet comments: “Pfft, hahahaha! What on earth is ‘implement the spirit of the Fifteenth National Party Congress’? What a politically upright, exemplary Goddess!”

“Oh man, I was listening so carefully to the Goddess defend herself, and then she drops this line. I’m dying of laughter, hahahaha!”

“Uhhh… I don’t know why, but I automatically pictured Xi Mi as Culinary Dao’s Little Watermelon. Suddenly, I think the two of them look so cute together! QAQ”

“That figure… could she actually be her?”

“Xi Mi… Little Watermelon… It’s so obvious! Wait, could Ying Quhe be Culinary Dao?”

Netizens immediately dug up screenshots from Culinary Dao’s videos to compare them with Ying Quhe in China’s Supreme Taste.

Comparing their hands closely, they clearly belonged to the exact same person!

Someone even created a left-and-right channel audio comparison between Culinary Dao’s voice in the videos and Ying Quhe’s voice on the show. Although Culinary Dao’s voice sounded deeper, listening carefully to certain phrases and words made it clear that they were the same person.

Weibo completely blew up.

Culinary Dao was Ying Quhe, which meant Xi Mi was the Little Watermelon from Ying Quhe’s home. Those romantic posts flexing their love on Weibo were actually Ying Quhe expressing his affection for Xi Mi!

Some fans who had turned hater immediately switched back to being diehard fans. Just a few days ago, Weibo had been filled with posts about “Ying Quhe’s rigged contest,” but the moment their identities were exposed, the narrative flipped completely.

“Culinary Dao is actually Ying Quhe? I’m standing by my male god. He’s so low-key, how could he possibly keep an underage girl as a mistress?”

“Exactly! Even though there’s an age gap between my male god and Xi Mi, Xi Mi is an adult now! Besides… an eleven-year age difference is so cute! T.T”

“It’s possible any other judge might rig a contest, but my male god would never do that!”

“Can the rumor-mongers all go jump off a cliff? Where is the fairness in this? Is dating someone younger automatically called being kept as a mistress? One is a successful young man, and the other is a talented chef with a bright future. They’re a match made in heaven. From Culinary Dao’s Weibo, all I saw was his devotion to Little Watermelon, not any of the filthy, disgusting deals those people claim.”

“…”

Back at the press conference, Xi Mi continued, “The reason I signed up using someone else’s identity was because my family withheld my ID card. Everyone in the ancient town knows I ran away to escape an arranged marriage. You are welcome to verify that as well. A competition is a competition. Ying Quhe was my master in the past, and if anything, his standards for me were even stricter, never lax. I know everyone questions my culinary skills, so today, I have invited the chefs who filed the joint lawsuit here for a live cook-off, a fair and square showdown. My conscience is clear, and I have nothing to fear.”

Matters having come to this, the chefs present couldn’t run away without completely losing face. So they elected a stronger chef among them to go head-to-head with Xi Mi on the spot.

The chef competing against Xi Mi was named Chang Dong, one of the contestants eliminated in the top hundred to top fifty match.

That match had been split into two main group battles. Chang Dong had suffered bad luck, ending up in the weaker group where his teammates dragged him down. They lost to Xi Mi’s group, depriving him of even the chance to compete against Xi Mi in a one-on-one duel.

A reporter on-site assigned the challenge topic: using only a single egg and a tough old hen as main ingredients, the two of them were required to turn these into a single dish.

Xi Mi and Chang Dong took their places.

Chang Dong seemed full of confidence. Without a moment’s hesitation, he cracked an egg into a bowl and began stirring.

The match time was set for one hour.

An old hen was best suited for stewing soup, but boiling an egg in chicken soup seemed a bit redundant. Xi Mi spent the first thirty minutes stewing the soup, which didn’t look like anything new. With less than twenty minutes remaining, she finally made her move on the egg.

Off to the side, Ji Donglin filmed her with his phone for a Weibo livestream, acting as narrator as he asked her, “Goddess, have you decided what you’re making?”

Xi Mi carefully tapped a tiny hole into the eggshell and poured out the egg white and yolk. Using a small spoon, she quickly scooped out the yolk, mixed chicken soup into the remaining egg white until smooth, poured the mixture back into the shell, sealed it with thin paper, and set it to steam.

This way, she used both the egg and the old hen without lacking novelty. Unhurriedly, she said, “This dish is called ‘Mixed Stuffed Egg’.”

Ji Donglin asked, “Mixed Stuffed Egg?”

Xi Mi wiped her hands and spoke to the camera, “I’ve never tried making it myself before. Today is a good chance to test it out.”

On Chang Dong’s side, he made traditional chicken soup steamed egg, which was somewhat similar to Xi Mi’s Mixed Stuffed Egg, but Xi Mi didn’t use egg yolk.

Five randomly selected reporters served as judges for the tasting segment.

Chang Dong’s chicken soup steamed egg was tender and flavorful in the mouth. However, as amateur judges, the reporters lacked the razor-sharp palate of a professional judge like Ying Quhe. Though the dish tasted good to them, they couldn’t pinpoint what made it special; it was simply too ordinary and home-cooked.

Xi Mi’s Mixed Stuffed Egg, on the other hand, dazzled the reporters the moment they peeled back the shell. Even peeled, it remained a seamless whole egg. Perhaps because she discarded the yolk, the texture was several times smoother than the previous dish, infused with a rich chicken broth flavor that tasted exceptionally fresh.

The five reporters polished off every single Mixed Stuffed Egg, practically licking the plates clean.

Watching the five reporters gorge themselves on the phone livestream, netizens expressed their urge to go to the scene and snatch the plates for themselves: “Please, Culinary Dao and Little Watermelon, team up for a food video!”

“Looking at those reporters licking the plates, the result of this face-off is already beyond obvious. A resounding slap to the face! Let me ask you guys one thing: do your cheeks hurt yet?”

“…”

One reporter hugged his plate like an infatuated fan and took a lick. “If I could vote a hundred times by myself, I’d give Xi Mi a hundred and one votes! When is Miss Xi opening a restaurant? I’ll be the first customer!”

Having lost the contest, Chang Dong walked over and shook Xi Mi’s hand. “My skills fell short this time, but that doesn’t mean I’ll lose to you forever. I hope we get the chance to spar in cooking again in the future. Also, I’ll be withdrawing my lawsuit.”

Xi Mi shook his hand. “Thank you.”

…

With the face-off over, the rumors of rigged results fell apart on their own.

Immediately after, the Xi Mi Fan Club official Weibo account posted a lawyer’s letter, suing Ye Doudou (Doudou Gourmet) for defamation and rumor-mongering.

Weibo was bombarded by a string of explosive news. System loads overloaded, causing servers in quite a few regions to glitch out for over ten minutes. During the livestream of Xi Mi’s press conference, evidence of Ye Doudou spreading rumors was publicly released.

Surveillance footage of Ye Doudou meeting two major entertainment reporters at a café, alongside evidence of her tampering with Xi Mi’s ingredients in the first match, were all uploaded.

The evidence was irrefutable.

Ye Doudou’s Weibo comment section was overrun, and her emergency PR whitewashing post was torn to shreds by furious netizens.

The fans of Culinary Dao alone had already bombarded Ye Doudou’s Weibo into a barren wasteland.

That evening.

Ying Quhe updated his food video channel with a post titled 《Dog Food Mixed Stuffed Egg》, accompanied by the text: “Gourmet food returns.”

In the video, both Xi Mi and Ying Quhe appeared on screen together.

In a clean, spacious kitchen, Ying Quhe wore a crisp white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The camera panned up from his firm forearms, moving past his collarbones, his Adam’s apple, his jawline, and then his thin lips…

Netizens holding their phones were thrown into a total frenzy. The moment his full face came into view, the crowd of netizens declared as one: We’ve all dropped dead!

On the show, Ying Quhe had always presented himself as an aloof, sharp-tongued judge. Now that he had embraced his identity as a food blogger, it gave everyone an unexpected sense of warmth and accessibility.

Especially with the recent blatant displays of affection on Culinary Dao’s Weibo, the account practically oozed the vibe of a hopelessly devoted pup.

It was hard to imagine that the usually razor-tongued Ying Quhe could post things like that on Weibo.

In the video, Xi Mi properly wore a black chef’s uniform and acted as Ying Quhe’s assistant. The two displayed remarkable tacit understanding, and the footage even featured adorable pets making an appearance.

A rather majestic German Shepherd lay in a corner of the kitchen, and perched on its back was a little Wolf Pup.

The Wolf Pup’s snout was a bit pointed, looking somewhat like a real wolf…

Under the high-definition close-up lens and accompanied by cheerful background music, everything in the kitchen felt immensely cozy. The entire screen seemed to bubble over with a soft pink atmosphere.

The netizens commented:

“Those two dogs in the corner have it so rough. Born as dogs, only to be hit by their owners’ brutal PDA.”

“I envy those two dogs. At least there are two of them, while I’m just a single dog all by myself!”

“Piles of warm dog food slapped right onto my face…”

“…”

Watching this video gave Ji Donglin a toothache. He couldn’t stand the sight of Ying Quhe acting like a hopelessly smitten fool.

As a romance novelist, Ji Donglin knew full well that an old beast like Ying Quhe was merely playing mind games and routine tricks. He deeply despised the old beast’s schemes.

Ji Donglin sent a WeChat message to Xi Mi: “Goddess, are you there meow? Free tomorrow meow?”

Xi Mi had gone to the backyard to check on Xiao Guai. The phone left on the coffee table vibrated, its screen lighting up instantly.

Ying Quhe glanced over, saw that the message was from Ji Donglin, unlocked it, and replied: “What is it?”

Ji Donglin: “I want to talk to you about Ying Quhe. I don’t think an old beast like him is good enough for you! Dating him is fine, but whatever you do, don’t think about committing the rest of your life to him. That would be horrifying!”

Ying Quhe: “Oh? What makes you say that?”

“It’s hard to explain, but men understand men best. The tricks he plays are nothing but calculated moves!”

Ying Quhe: “Is it appropriate to talk about someone behind their back?”

Ji Donglin: “I’m innocent, Goddess! I say this to his face too. Are you coming tomorrow? Blue Bay Cafe. By the way, I’ve started working on a new book recently, and there’s a lot of food-related knowledge I’d like to ask you about.”

Ying Quhe: “Alright, see you tomorrow.”